BEDFORD, N.H. (WHDH) — State Police say one person was killed Wednesday afternoon when a vehicle crashed into a tollbooth at the Bedford toll plaza in New Hampshire and burst into flames.
The fatal crash shut down the northbound side of the Everett Turnpike for several hours but two lanes have since been reopened.
Authorities tell 7’s Steve Cooper that the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed as it attempted to pass through an E-ZPass lane. The vehicle struck a concrete bumper, rolled over and then caught fire.
“The vehicle traveling northbound did not negotiate the toll plaza, subsequently struck that toll plaza and caught on fire,” State Police Sgt. Bryan Trask said.
Motorists were urged to stay away from the area. Traffic was detoured off the highway at Exit 13 at Airport Access Road.
Witnesses told 7News that the vehicle never hit the brakes before barreling through the toll lane.
State Police are searching for anyone who may have seen the vehicle on the highway prior to the crash.
“We still don’t know what kind of vehicle it was. We’re still looking to identify that,” Trask said.
Images from the scene showed the vehicle’s charred remains. The state medical examiner was called in.
The victim’s name has not been released. The crash is under investigation.
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